November 6, 2009

Charlotte, NC -- Drive past the fall colors along Brookshire Boulevard these days and you may also catch a glimpse of workers suspended from high atop one of several water storage tanks along the freeway. Over the next couple of months they'll be cleaning and repainting several of the tanks, which are critical parts of the safe drinking water system Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents rely upon every day.

Each year, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities rate-payers invest tens of millions of dollars to upgrade drinking water and wastewater plants. 

The Franklin Water Treatment Plant, the largest drinking water plant in the Carolinas, is combining two older reservoirs into a new single reservoir at the corner of Brookshire and Oakdale Road, which will give Mecklenburg County an additional 145 million gallons of water storage. 

Less than a mile away, along Beatties Ford Road near the Brookshire intersection, the 85-year-old Vest Water Treatment Plant is also undergoing significant upgrades. Crews are replacing pipes near the plant to improve water service and fire protection, and cleaning and painting three plant water storage tanks. The workers are also replacing the roof at this historic landmark, and installing energy-efficient windows while preserving the building's historical features and classic charm. 

Both plant projects should last about a year.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities is a community-owned water utility delivering safe drinking water and wastewater services to 774,000 customers.  Improvement projects like these provide for continuous water and sewer services, which are entirely funded by customers.